Hile
/haɪl/noun
An obsolete or Scots verb meaning to hide or conceal.
Did you know?Hile is related to the older verb “hele,” and the same Germanic family is connected with the idea of a hidden or concealed place behind the word “Hell.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“To cover, conceal, or hide.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*huljaną
“To conceal or cover; the likely Germanic source of related hiding words.”
Old English
Old English
helan
“To hide, cover, or conceal.”
Middle English
Middle English
helen / hilen
“To hide or keep concealed.”
Scots and Northern English
Scots
hile
“To hide or conceal; an obsolete or dialectal form.”
Modern English
English
hile
“A rare historical or dialect word meaning “to hide,” now largely obsolete.”